Michael is a first year umpire who decided to umpire this year simply for the love of baseball. In his first season, he's already umpired over 45 games ranging from Mosquito to Peewee. Saskatoon Umpire Mentors often talk about Michael's positive attitude, great mechanics and eagerness to learn. In fact, the majority of positive umpire feedback that was received this year in the Mosquito and Peewee Divisions were in regards to Michael on the diamond.

Week of July 23, 2018

Province:

NB

Name:

Mathieu

Years Officiating:

3

Certification Level:

Level 3

Interests:

Matt is an avid sports fan following baseball, football, and hockey. He is especially fond of the Philadelphia Eagles and Flyers as well as the Chicago Cubs. He has been to several pro sports games over the years. Matt is also an avid gardener.

Mathieu has been umpiring for 3 years now and has had the opportunity to umpire from Mosquito AAA up to Intermediate. He has umpired in several Provincial Youth Championships culminating in working the plate for the U13 Provincial Championship final last summer as well as working games in the Provincial B Intermediate final.

Week of July 16, 2018

Province:

ON

Name:

Chris

Years Officiating:

14

Certification Level:

Level 3

Interests:

Having already worked over 60 games in the 2018 season, most of Chris' time is spent on the diamond. When he is not on the field, Chris enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family. Chris is often found on stage during the winter months, as he is an avid Theatrical performer.

Week of July 9, 2018

Province:

NL

Name:

Andrew

Years Officiating:

2

Certification Level:

Level 2

Interests:

I enjoy playing sports mainly including hockey and baseball. In the summer I play for the Gonzaga Vikings in the St, John's Amateur Baseball League and St. John's Caps Senior Baseball team. In the winter I play for the Gander Flyers in the Central West Senior Hockey League. Other interests include travelling, skiing, reading, watching movies, and socializing with my friends.

Week of July 2, 2018

Province:

AB

Name:

Isaac

Years Officiating:

3

Certification Level:

Level 2

Interests:

Isaac is a 18 year old umpire from St. Paul, a small rural community in north eastern Alberta. He umpires rep baseball throughout the Lakeland region including his local association league games. An ex baseball player, Isaac was forced into early retirement due to an injury after winning 3 provincial championships. After his playing days, he began umpiring full time as a way to make some side cash in high school, but more importantly, to stay involved in the game he loves. Isaac is a multi sport athlete competing at the provincial level in hockey, volleyball, badminton and loves spending time snowboarding in the mountains. In the fall, Isaac is attending university to begin his path towards becoming a physiotherapist.

Always one to be counted on, Isaac umpires a majority of the local league games including last second fill ins. On the weekends Isaac is always available and willing to travel distances to umpire provincial league games across the region. Isaac’s career highlights include umpiring Peewee Provincials in 2016 and travelling to the other end of the province to umpire the Bantam AA Provincials in 2017. This year Isaac was excited to worked Midget AA provincial league games.

In the future, Isaac looks forward to being located around a big city and having the ability to regularly umpire higher levels of ball. Isaac enjoys the different perspective umpiring gives on the game of baseball, and especially the comradery and management aspects with coaches and players.

Thomas is always available to his local association (Beauport). Also, when he is not officiating for his local association, he makes himself available for other associations from Charlesbourg to Lévis. With a 145 games officiated, he shows his amazing commitment.

On the regional level, he helped numerous times his regional association. He is always on time and always on baseball fields, even if he's not officiating. He has great knowledge of local and regional rules and he shows and great desire to learn. When he is unsure of a rule, he isn't afraid to ask his mentors and to read his rule book. Thomas demonstrates a great sense of responsibility when he is on the field. He loves to pass on his knowledge to every official that works with him on the field. He also completed his supervisor course in 2017.

In addition to the 145 officiated games, he has supervised a dozen. He often officiated the same teams in the minors and the majors. Coaches love having him on the field and they respect his decisions. Quebec/Chaudiere-Appalache region submitted his application to officiate in the provincial championship Midget AA. He has shown great skills behind home plate and on the bases and has officiatied behind home plate during the gold medal game. He has been recommended for the 2018 national program.

Week of June 18, 2018

Province:

PE

Name:

Thomas

Years Officiating:

3

Certification Level:

Level 2

Interests:

In addition to being a baseball umpire and player, Thomas also plays on his junior high school basketball team. He is an accomplished musician and actor, playing both guitar and trumpet, and he's appeared on YTV and on the Main Stage of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Thomas LOVES being an umpire and plans to become a professional umpire and attend Wendelstedt School for Umpires in Florida.

Thomas was the youngest umpire invited to attend Elite Umpire Training with MLB Umpire Stu Scheurwater in Charlottetown in the Winter of 2018. In only his second year, Thomas was chosen to umpire the PeeWee A Provincial Gold Medal game as plate umpire. Thomas is currently a member of the Bantam AA Sherwood/Charlottetown Royals baseball team, and is in his 10th year playing baseball.

Week of June 11, 2018

Province:

BC

Name:

Trace

Years Officiating:

2

Certification Level:

Level 2

Interests:

Trace is a member of Cloverdale Minor Baseball Umpire's program. He is a multisport athlete competing in baseball, hockey, waterpolo, rugby, football, and badminton. He wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.

Week of June 4, 2018

Province:

MB

Name:

Tyler

Years Officiating:

5

Certification Level:

Level 3

Interests:

Tyler is a second year level 3 umpire and a grade 12 student at Oak Park High School where he played for both his school’s baseball and football teams. When Tyler is not on a diamond umpiring, you will find him helping coach the Oak Park JV football team. Tyler plans to take a year off before attending Wendelstedt umpire school where he can pursue his dream of becoming a professional baseball umpire.

Tyler started umpiring at the age of 13 in Winnipeg South as well as playing Pee Wee AA and Bantam AA. During this time, not only did he do games in his home area but he also traveled around the city and province doing games and tournaments. He has done U11, U13 and U15 A, AA and AAA cities and provincials.this year he hopes to make the jump to midget level umpiring.

Week of May 28, 2018

Province:

NS

Name:

Ada

Years Officiating:

4

Certification Level:

Level 2

Interests:

The aspiring physicist and talented seamstress is actively involved in encouraging others to buck the trend and aspire to do what they want, regardless of gender. Regarding her recent award, she stated, "I’m also concerned about the gender wage gap, the lack of women in science, technology, engineering and math. I think more women have to be encouraged to pursue these areas but also to stick with them because a lot of women want to but subconsciously think these are male professions.”

At only 14 , Ada’s learned the ropes entering her 4th season. After inspiring her buddy Kenzie to join the umpiring ranks, they became the first ever female duo to officiate a Baseball Nova Scotia game.

The Windsor Junction resident is this year’s WomenActive Trendsetter award winner. She took home top prize in the youth category at an April 14 ceremony in Halifax honouring five Nova Scotia women currently challenging the status quo.

“I’m proud of the award and that I did something about the lack of female umpires in baseball,” said Ada.

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Baseball Canada is pleased to introduce Shaped by Our Game, a new initiative on baseball.ca that will profile people who have used our sport to achieve success later in life. Baseball is a sport that provides great life lessons and teaches skills that are applicable for future success in life whether on the baseball field or not.

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About Baseball Canada

Federally incorporated in 1964 as the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball, Baseball Canada is the national governing body for baseball in Canada and is made up of 10 provincial associations representing players, coaches and umpires nationwide.